Lumber-drier.



A. S. NICHOLS.

LUMBER DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1914.

' Patented May 4, 1915.

qflisilm'd'wfilnventor:

[HE NURRIS PETERS ca, PHDTOVLIVTHOH WASHING AARON S. NICHOLS, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

LUMBER-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

5 Patented May a, 1915.

Application filed July 1, 1914. Serial No. 848,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Aaron S. N oHoLs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lumber-Briers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in lumber driers and particularlyto improve ments in that kind of driers in which the lumber while beingdried is held between a series of platens which can be separated forpermitting the insertion and removal of the lumber and then broughttogether again after the lumber has been inserted, so as to hold thelumber in proximity to the steam pipes while the drying takes place.

The object of my invention is to provide certain new and usefulimprovements in the platens whereby their construction is greatlysimplified, the cost reduced, their strength increased and the entireapparatus made more effective and rigid, less apt to get out of order orto require repairs and is capable of holding a greater load.

In the accompanying drawings in which like letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures:Figure 1 is a plan View of one end of aplaten containing an embodiment of my present invention, showing partsconnected with the platen. below. Fig. 2 is a side view of a series ofsuperimposed platens and parts connected therewith, some of the platensbeing shown separated to permit of the introduction of lumber. Fig. is adetail transverse sectional view showing the connection between the Ibeam cross bars and the side bars, said section being taken on the linea-a of Fig. 4. Fig. i is a vertical section on the line 79-6 of Fig. 8.Fig. 5 is a plan view of one corner of one platen- Fig. 6 is a verticaltransverse sectional view on the line al -cl of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is adetail side view of the supporting bolt for the steam supply pipes. Fig.8 is a detail combined cross sectional view and perspective view of oneof the cross barsshowing the detachable cap thereon, parts beingv brokenaway.

Platens or practicallyhorizontal frames are superimposed and held on asuitable base frame and are connected by a series of slotted links witheach other and with a top frame which can be moved toward and from thebase frame, preferably by means of by lumber resting thereon.

draulic plungers, so that the platens can be 7 I separated for thepurpose of permitting the introduction of the lumber and graduallybrought together as the spaces between them are filled and can besuccessively separated when the dried lumber is to be removed.

may be from five to six feet, more or less, as.

may be desired and these side rails are united by a greater or lessnumber of cross bars, the number depending upon the length of the platenand these cross bars are spaced about twelve inches apart, more or less.

The side rails l are preferably rectangular in cross section and areplaced on edge. The cross bars 2 consist of a vertical web 3 having topand bottom flanges 4 projecting from both sides so as to give the entirebar 2 in substance, the cross sectional appearance'of an I beam, but thetop and bottom surfaces of these flanges 4 are rounded or curvedconveXly so as to obviate all sharp edges which might make impressionsin the By curving the flanges in this manner, I obtain a greateraccumulation of metal in said top and bottom flanges whereby thetransverse supporting bars are materially strengthened. For M thepurpose of attaching the cross bars 2 to the side rails 1, the endportions of the webs of the cross bars are cut out between the top 1.Then said tongues 6 are forcibly bent toward each other and partly overthe outer side faces of the side rails 1 as shown in Fig. 3 whereby eachside rail is held and clamped firmly and securely against an end of eachcross bar, as by such bending of the tongues 6, the inner surfaces ofthe side rails 1 are pressed against the end edges of i the webs of thecross bars 2. At the same between the platens is held between suchflanges and air spaces open at the sides, are thus formed between thesuperimposed platens, which air spaces lengthwise of the side rails areequal to the distance between the flanges of two adjacent cross bars andin height are equal to the thickness of the flanges beyond the edges ofthe side rails. These air spaces permit theair to circulate freelybetween the several platens and the material thereon. The cross bars arefurther braced and stiffened by longitudinal tie rods 7 which are passedthrough suitable holes in the cross bars and these tie rods are securedat'their ends by nuts. One of the tie rods extends through to the endbars 8 and through all the cross bars 2, while the other tie rod extendsfrom the first cross bar adjacent to an end bar 8 through all the crossbars to the first cross bar adjacent to the end bar 8 at the other endof the platen. Spreader tubes 7 surround the tie rods 7 between each twocross bars 2 and also between the end bars 8 and adjacent cross bars.The end bars 8 are also stiflened and braced by a short tie rod 10passing through each end bar and adjacent cross bar 2, which tie rod isalso surrounded by a spreader tube 11. In this way I obtain a strong,rigid and comparatively light platen of simple construction, which doesnot present any sharp edges to thelumber placed thereon. The steam pipes12 for conveying the steam for drying purposes, which may be live orexhaust steam, are arranged in serpentine lines in each platen and passthrough openings 13 in the webs of the cross bars 2. One end of eachserpentine pipe is connected with a steam supply pipe at one corner ofthe platen and with another steam supply pipe at the opposite corner ofthe platen and these supply pipes at the two opposite ends of the platenare located at opposite sides of the group of platens. The end of eachserpentine pipe is connected with acoupling block 14, which couplingblocks are arranged at diagonally opposite corners of the platen. Eachcoupling block 14 is held in a corner formed by an end bar 8 and a siderail 1 and has the side resting against the inner surfaceof the end bar8, provided with a tongue 15, between the top and botem. su fac S a tofitagainst the inner surface of the end bar which is also of I beamshape like the cross bars 2. A screw 16 is screwed through the web ofthe end cross bar 8 into the block 14. The ends of the side rails 1 fitin recesses 17 cut into the outer side faces of the blocks 14 in whichrecesses the ends of the side rails can slide lengthwise to permit ofexpansion and contraction and each side rail 1 is provided at its endwith a longitudinal slot 18 through which a screw bolt 19 is passed andis screwed into the block 14 as shown in Fig. 5 so that the block 14 isthus securely held in place on the end bar and on the end of a side railbut permits'of relative movement of parts due to expansion andcontraction. 7

Each block 14 is provided in its inner end with a bore or recess 31 inwhich the end of the serpentine pipe 12 fits, the threaded end of saidpipe being screwed into a threaded portion 32 at the inner end of thebore and leading to a chamber 20. This chamber 20 communicates with athreaded portion 34 of a like bore 35 extending to the outer side of theblock 14. The threaded portions 32 and 34 are of such dimensions thatthe threaded pipe ends screwed into the same fit steam tight and preventleakage. At the same time, the ends of the pipes extending into thebores 31 and 35 can turn slightly in these bores. The bore 35 as shownis located between the end of the side rail 1 and the outer end of theblock and into this bore 35, the steam pipe 22 is inserted, the threadedinner end of which is screwed into thethreaded portion 34. The outer endof the short pipe 22 is screwed into the side of a coupling 23 into theopposite ends of which the steam supply pipes 24 are screwed, whichsupply pipes in the well known manner, are made in the shape of azig-Zig so that the pipes can spread and move together as the platensare spread and moveditogether. These supply pipes at the ends oppositethose connected with the blocks 14 in the several platens are connectedwith each other by e As the platens are separated, the zigzag pipe isstretched and as the platens are brought together, the several membersof V the zigzag pipe move toward each other at the outer ends of theplaten and to permit of such movement of parts, the above describedconnection of the blocks 14 are made as such connections permit theshort pipes 22 to turn in the bores 35 and the threaded ends of thepipes to turn in the threaded parts '34 which however prevent leakage ofsteam. Those parts of the short pipes 22 resting against the sides ofthe-bore brace and stiflen the same and prevent undue strain on thethreaded parts.

For the purpose of supporting the steam supply pipes, bolts 26 arescrewed into the dera ls 1., cf the platen so as to project av greateror less distance from the outer sides of the same and a washer 27 ismounted on each bolt adjacent to its head 28. A second washer 29 isplaced on the bolt and between said second Washer and the side rail 1, apipe 30 surrounds the bolt, said pipe 30 being of such length that thewashers 27 and 29 are separated a distance slightly greater than thediameter of the steam conveyer pipes 24 united by the U-shaped couplings25, one of the pipes 2 1 connected with each U-shaped coupling 25,passing over the bolt 26 and the other beneath the bolt so that thesebolts thus support the steam supply pipes and also hold them in verticalalinement as the pipes are confined between the washers 27 and 29, whichprevent any lateral movement of these supply pipes as the platens aremoved toward and from each other.

In order to prevent liquids that may ooze from the lumber and which aremore or less of an acid or alkaline character that would attack iron orsteel and for preventing condensed steam or moisture from rusting theflanges of the cross bars on which the lumber rests, which might tend todiscolor or mar the appearance of the dried lumber, I in some casesprovide the top flanges or both the top and bottom flanges of the crossbars with a longitudinal cap 36 which is made of metal which does notoxidize in such a mannor as to discolor the lumber, for example thesecaps 86 could be made of copper, hardened more or less so that it canslide lengthwise and spring on the flanges to be held in place. Withsuch caps the lumber would not come in contact with the iron or steelcross bars.

39 represents slotted links connecting the platens. As appears from Fig.2, the outer ends of two pipes 24'. forming V-shaped figure, areconnected with the blocks 14 in the corners of alternate platens and thebolts 26 project from the platen between the two with which the two legsof the V-shaped pipe thus formed are connected so that the inner ends ofthe pipes 2 1 are above and below the bolt 26 projecting from the sideof the platen between those two platens, with the steam coils of whichthe pipes 24 are connected.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. A platen for driers composed of side rails andcross bars, the cross bars consisting of flanged bars with the outersurfaces of the flanges curved convexly, transversely to the length ofthe flanged bars and the ends of said cross bar being held on the siderails, substantially as set forth.

2. A platen for lumber driers constructed with side rails and crossbars, the cross bars being composed of flanged bars, the top and bottomsurfaces of the cross bars being inplanes higher and lower than theupper and lower edges respectively of the side rails and said side railsand cross bars being connected with each other, substantially as setforth.

3. A platen for driers composed of side rails and cross bars, the crossbars having their upper surfaces curved conveXly transversely to thelength of the cross bars and said curved surfaces being above the planesof the upper edges of the side rails, substantially as set forth.

4. A platen for lumber driers composed of side rails and cross bars, thecross bars having their upper and lower surfaces curved conveXlytransversely to the length of the cross bars and said curved surfaces ofthe cross bars being respectively above and below the planes of theupper and lower edges of the side rails, substantially as set forth.

5. In a platen for driers, the combination of side rails, end bars andcross bars uniting the side rails between the end bars, with hollowblocks in the corners of the platen, the endparts of the side railsresting against the outer side surfaces of said blocks, said endportions of the side rails being provided with a slidable connection,substantially as set forth.

6. In a platen for driers, the combination of side rails, end bars andcross bars uniting the side bars between the end bars, with hollowblocks in the corners of the platen, chambers in said blocks extendingto the outer side and inner end of the block, steam coil pipes held inthe cross bars of the platen and having their ends connected with saidchambers at the inner ends of the blocks and steam supply pipes beyondthe outer side edges of the platen and connected with said chambers inthe blocks at the outer side of the blocks, substantially as set forth.

7 In a platen for driers, the combination with side rails, end bars andcross bars uniting the side rails, of blocks in the corners of theplatens, communicating chambers in said blocks extending from the innerends and outer sides of the blocks, the outer ends of the blocks beingshaped to fit against the inner surfaces of the end bars of the platen,the end portions of the side rails of the platen resting on the outersides of the blocks and a slidable connection between the side rails andthe outer sides of the blocks, steam coil pipes mounted in the crossbars of the platen and communicating with the chambers in the blocks atthe inner ends of the blocks and steam pipes on the outside of theplaten communicating with the chambers in the blocks at the outside ofthe same, substantially as set forth.

8. In a platen for lumber driers, the combination of side rails, endbars and cross bars uniting the side rails with corner blocks havingcommunicating chambers terminating at I the inner ends and outer sidesof the blocks,

the end bars of the frame being secured to said blocks and the siderails of the frame being connected with the blocks by a slidableconnection, steam circulating pipes in the platen and steam conductingpipes at the outside of-the platen, connected with said chambers in theblocksat the inner end and outer side of said blocks, respectively,suband a supporting bolt projecting from the sides of the platen betweenthe two, with which the V-shaped pipes are in communication, at or nearthe apex of the V-shaped pipes and extending between the legs of, thetwo V-shaped pipes, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a series of super imposed platens for driers,of steam circulating pipes connected within the platens, substantiallyV-shaped steam supply pipes connected with the steam circulating pipesof alternate platens, at the ends of the platens and a supporting boltprojecting from the sides of the platen between the two with which theV-shaped pipes are in communication, at or near the apex of the V-shapedpipes and extending between the legs of the two V-shaped pipes, washersmounted on said bolt at opposite sides of the two legs of the V-shapedpipes extending respectively above or below the bolt, substantially asset forth. I V

11. The combination with a series of superimposed platens for driers, ofsteam circulat ing pipes connected within the platens, substantiallyV-shaped steam supply pipes conrail of the platen to hold the washersagainst Y the said pipes, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with a series of superimposed drying platens, ofsteam circulating pipes in the same, a series of steam conducting pipeslocated adjacent to the outer sides of the plalten extending lengthwiseof the same, said pipes being alternately connected with each other bycouplings at the inner and outer ends to form zigzag conduits, saidzig-zag conduits having two adjacent outer bends connected with thesteam conducting pipes of two alternate platens, said zig-zag pipesbeing supported at their inner joined ends by bolts projecting from thesides of the platens between the two connected with the outer bends ofsaid pipes, substantially as set forth.

18. In a platen for driers, the combination with side bars and flangedcross bars, of detachable cap pieces on the flanges of said cross bars,substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, boroughof 7 Manhattan, in the county of NewYork and State of New York this 7th day of April A. D. 1914:.

AARON S. NICHOLS.

Witnesses: E. H. DETTLING, E. S. VoTEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

